MBTA weighs commuter rail options as Keolis contract set to expire in mid-2027
Photo | Eric Casey
A MBTA train arrives at Union Station in Worcester.
MBTA officials could soon need to decide if the existing model of contracting with an outside company to operate the commuter rail, but tackling procurement of new trains and system modernization in-house, is the best route moving forward.
For about a decade, the T has entrusted Keolis with running trains on the commuter rail system, but that contract is set to expire in mid-2027 after the most recent extension.
The agency earlier this year asked potential bidders to describe their interest in a potential "successor contract," and more than two dozen firms replied, eyeing a range of tasks including infrastructure management and passenger service.
Mike Muller, the T's executive director of commuter rail, told the agency's board of directors Thursday there are three primary options for the next contract.
The T could keep the current model, where it assigns operations to an outside firm like Keolis and remains in charge of construction. It could also pursue a single combined contract for both operations and the bigger capital work required for modernization, either with just one firm or with a consortium. Or it could split operations and infrastructure work, assigning different contracts for each to bidders better suited for each individual task.
"We are prioritizing the delivery of regional rail in any new contract structure. So regardless of which of the options is put forward, the contract will deliver improved frequency across the network and will advance the objectives of regional rail modernization," Muller said. "Our vision is for high-frequency, decarbonized, bi-directional, all-day service to the extent possible within funding constraints.
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